Nuggets aim for new winning streak starting in Toronto

(Sports Network) - The Denver Nuggets look to get back into the win column
when they resume a four-game road trip against the Toronto Raptors Tuesday.

The Nuggets are coming off a hard-fought 118-114 triple-overtime defeat at the
hands of the Boston Celtics Sunday at TD Garden. Paul Pierce registered a
triple-double with 27 points, 14 rebounds and 14 assists to lead the Celtics,
while Ty Lawson poured in 29 points and handed out nine assists for Denver.

Danilo Gallinari and Andre Miller scored 18 and 15 points, respectively, for
the Nuggets, whose season-high winning streak of nine games came to an end.

"Very few times when you lose do you think it's probably a good thing, and I
thought we played as well as we can play with the circumstances," Nuggets
coach George Karl said. "We played with a lot of heart, a lot of guts, we took
a lot of punches and fought back every time."

Denver's nine-game streak was its longest since going on a 10-game run from
March 30-April 15, 2005. Nuggets swingman Andre Iguodala left the game in the
third quarter with a right cervical strain and did not return. He is listed as
questionable for Tuesday's outing in Toronto.

The Nuggets, who are 11-16 away from the Rocky Mountains and still a dominant
15-3 in their last 18 games, will close out the swing Wednesday at Brooklyn.

Toronto aims for a third straight victory Tuesday and is coming off a 102-89
triumph over the New Orleans Hornets on Sunday.

Rudy Gay scored 20 points and John Lucas III netted 10 of his 19 points in the
fourth quarter for the Raptors, who have won two straight and three of five
games. Kyle Lowry recorded 14 points with 10 assists in the win.

"Lucas got it going, he was making shots and he did a great job," Raptors
coach Dwane Casey said.

The Raptors were able to build on an impressive road win at Indiana on Friday
to improve to 13-13 north of the border this season. Gay joined Andrea
Bargnani in scoring 20 or more points in his first five games. Gay, of course,
was acquired from Memphis last month. Vince Carter hit the 20-point mark in a
team-record 23 games in a row.

Gay has scored 20-plus points in his last six games, averaging 23.8 ppg in
that time. In injury news for the Raptors, who will visit New York and
Washington after Tuesday's game, Bargnani is questionable versus the Nuggets
with flu-like symptoms.

Toronto dropped a 113-110 decision at Denver on Dec. 3 this season and has
lost 10 of 11 and 15 of the previous 17 meetings between the teams. The two
clubs have split the last 12 encounters up north.